The present invention relates to an image output apparatus and method thereof, and an image output system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image output apparatus connected to another device by a serial bus, and an image output method of the apparatus and an image output system.
Conventionally, so-called direct printing is realized in a system comprising a personal computer (PC), a printer, other peripheral devices, a record-reproduction apparatus such as a digital camera or a digital video tape recorder (VTR) or the like, a scanner and so forth, which are connected in the network structure by using a general-type digital interface (I/F). In the direct printing, since each device directly sends an output command to the printer, data transfer between each of the devices in the network is possible without necessitating PC mediation. Therefore, bus transfer efficiency can be improved.
Furthermore, direct printing is also characterized in that, in a case where an interface (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9c1394 serial busxe2x80x9d) defined by the IEEE 1394 standard is employed as the aforementioned digital interface (I/F), a predetermined transfer speed can be ensured by isochronous data transfer. By performing printing operation in synchronization with the isochronous data transfer, the printer does not need to secure a memory capacity for one page of image. Therefore, cost reduction can be achieved in the printer.
However, since the aforementioned 1394 serial bus has Plug and Play function, if a device is newly connected or disconnected, bus reset occurs and data transfer is suspended. Therefore, such printer which is connected to the 1394 serial bus and does not have a memory capacity for one page of image, has the following problems.
More specifically, if bus reset occurs during printout operation while performing isochronous data transfer, the data transfer is suspended and an erroneous image is generated, resulting in an erroneous printout.
Furthermore, in a case where printed paper is stapled by the printer, a problem occurs in that the erroneous printout is included in the stapled paper.
Still further, if an erroneous printout is outputted together with the normal printouts, the user has to perform cumbersome operation of selecting and removing the erroneous printout.
The present invention is made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an image output apparatus and method thereof, and an image output system, for always stapling properly printed paper even in a case where bus reset occurs during image data transfer in the image output apparatus which is connected to the 1394 serial bus and has staple function.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image output apparatus connected to another device by a serial bus, comprising: communication means for performing communication with the another device through the serial bus and receiving image data transferred by the another device; image formation control means for controlling to form an image on a print medium based on the image data received by the communication means; staple control means for controlling to staple a plurality of print media on which image forming is performed; and detection means for detecting an initialized state of the serial bus during image data reception by the communication means, wherein in a case where the detection means detects the initialized state of the serial bus, the communication means requests the another device to transfer the image data and receives the image data again, then the image formation control means controls to form an image on a print medium based on the received image data, and the staple control means controls to staple print media on which image forming is performed.
By virtue of the above configuration, it is possible to prevent intermingling of erroneous printouts with stapled paper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image output apparatus and method thereof, and an image output system, for outputting printed paper such that properly printed paper is not intermingled with erroneously printed paper, even in a case where bus reset occurs during image data transfer in the image output apparatus which is connected to the 1394 serial bus.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image processing apparatus comprising an image output apparatus connected to another device by a serial bus, comprising: communication means for performing communication with the another device through the serial bus and receiving image data transferred by the another device; image formation control means for controlling to form an image on a print medium based on the image data received by the communication means; discharge control means for controlling to discharge the print medium on which image forming is performed; and detection means for detecting an initialized state of the serial bus during image data reception by the communication means, wherein the discharge control means controls to discharge print medium, on which image forming is performed when the detection means detects the initialized state of the serial bus, so as not to be intermingled with another print medium on which image forming is performed.
By virtue of the above configuration, it is not necessary for a user to perform cumbersome operation of selecting and removing erroneously printed paper.
The invention is particularly advantageous because proper printouts can always be obtained by the image output apparatus connected to the 1394 serial bus, by instructing to re-transfer image data when bus reset occurs during image data transfer and by controlling output of erroneous printouts.
Accordingly, only the properly printed paper is always stapled.
Furthermore, printed paper can be outputted such that properly printed paper is not intermingled with erroneously printed paper.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.